Opal Davis brings compassion to the patients of KPH

Martin Luther King Jr once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?" And customer relations officer Opal Davis has answered that question in more ways than one.

Fifty-eight-year-old Davis has dedicated more than half her life in service to others.

Her journey into volunteerism started at the age of 15 at summer camp. She approached her camp counsellor with a list of multiple places she wanted to volunteer, and the counsellor provided Davis with two companies that would be the best fit for her. All she had to do was express her interest.

She was very nervous and a bit apprehensive in approaching "two big people", she said.

Despite her anxiety, she was determined to impress the companies, so she asked her mother for advice, and as her mom spoke she wrote down everything verbatim.

The following day, she approached the officers and read exactly what her mother said from a piece of paper.

To her surprise, she got all that she wanted, and more, from both companies.

HUMBLING EXPERIENCE

Davis is now a volunteer under the recently launched Compassionate Care Programme at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH). There she spends her days focusing on the heart-warming duties rather than the hands on duties.

Most, if not every Christmas, she and her team visit the hospital and gifts the patients with care packages, which she describes as a humbling experience and one that will never be forgotten because, "as humans, we sometimes take things for granted".

She recalls an experience that still lives with her after 25 years.

She gave a patient a little care package consisting of toiletries, and the patient began to cry. Davis was confused and the patient explained that she wanted to use the restroom all day but there was no tissue.

The encounter was an emotional one for the humanitarian and she went outside and cried.

Davis has not limited her volunteerism to KPH. She also volunteers at Camperdown High School, which is her alma mater. She is currently the president of her community's citizens' association, and she is a part of the Jamaica Constabulary Force's Neighbourhood Watch Movement. She also extends herself to other volunteering projects when they present themselves.

THE SIMPLE THINGS MATTER

With the introduction of the structured volunteer programme, Compassionate Care by the Ministry of Health, Davis said she is 100 per cent behind it.

She believes that, "Sometimes we get so caught up in the medical aspects of the healthcare system, we tend to forget the sentimental side of things.

"With so many challenges in the healthcare system, there are little things one can take out of the hands of the medical care staff. It's the simple things like making a phone call for a patient, combing their hair or even just answering a simple question," she said.

Despite the Compassionate Care Programme being primarily for hospitals, it is needed and extremely important. As such, Davis urges every young person to volunteer, as "the process is very easy and the experience is one that will stay with you for a lifetime".

Persons who are interested in volunteering under the Compassionate Care Programme can contact the administration office of their local hospital.